bullseye
by Screaming Argonaut
Summary: Hawkeye and Havoc are forced to teach Ed to use a gun. Ed is a bit apprehensive about the whole situation.


_In __The Call,__ It is mentioned that Hawkeye teaches Ed to use a handgun. Here is a side story of that event._

Fifteen year-old Edward smashed his way into the office where his co-workers were doing their paperwork. No one jumped at his entrance anymore. The door slamming was as common now as a simple knock. Today was his day to catch up on his report, finances, accomplishments, etc. Ed was never in a good mood when he came in, but today was special; he was furious. Having made peace of some kind with his estranged father, he was able to get Al's body back as soon as Hoenheim got him prepared mentally. So, of course he was at the office doing paperwork that he wasn't allowed to do at home. He made his way over to his desk and almost sat down when a voice stopped him.

"The Colonel would like to see you before you start, Edward." Hawkeye stated without looking up from her own work. Ed groaned loudly and heaved himself out of his chair. He kicked in Mustang's door and slammed it behind him.

"What is it, Bastard? I'm quite busy if you haven't noticed. Maybe that's the case, considering your vision isn't what it used to be, you old fart." Ed politely greeted. Roy looked up from his desk and his frown deepened from being called old. He used his hand to indicate that he wanted his subordinate to take a seat. Ed obliged, but landed on the couch as hard as he could; causing the worn object to groan in protest.

"I'm much too exhausted to make any legitimate attempt to argue with you, so let's just leave it at this; you're short. I don't feel that you're mature enough for this, but-"

"Who's immature? You're fifty and still you sleep around with all these women! Calling ME immature…" Ed shot back indignantly. He crossed his arms and pouted.

Roy looked at him and smiled a little. He stood and looked out the window before continuing.

"I'm thirty. What I was about to say was, I don't think you're mature enough, but the higher-ups think it necessary for you to pack heat. They say that your alchemy will only protect you so much, and-" He was interrupted by Fullmetal yet again.

"Packing heat? What the hell are you talking about?" His arms were uncrossed and his hands were digging into the sofa, apprehensive about what his superior was having him do. Roy sighed and took his seat again.

"I've been ordered to have you carry a gun, Fullmetal. My hands are tied. You are to go with Hawkeye, pick out a gun, and learn to use it. I feel that if anyone can teach a punk like you to kill someone, it would be her." He expected another outburst at being called a punk, but when none came he became curious.

"Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

Ed nodded in response. His eyes were cast to the floor. Roy thought he looked like he'd killed someone already with the haunted look his eyes had. Mustang decided that it would be best not to trouble the kid more than necessary. He buzzed Hawkeye in and she saluted as she entered. She looked at the boy sympathetically. She was worried that Mustang had said something callous to him again.

"Sir?" she asked.

"Lieutenant, you are to take Fullmetal to the armory and have him pick out a handgun. Afterwards, take him to the range and teach him to use it. That is all." She saluted again and pulled Ed up by his hand. She led him downstairs.

Hawkeye walked next to Ed, who still wore that haunted look on his face. She knew this day would come. She knew he hated guns. When she handed him that .45 just before he went after Gluttony, he looked afraid of it. She remembered him saying that it was a tool to kill people. He never fired it, because he said he couldn't. Ed seemed to fair just fine without a firearm, but now that he's older, less and less people will go easy on him because of his age. Being able to use a gun could save his life, but he's still a child. And having lost his mother, and barely saving his brother has given him an immense value of life. Hawkeye shook these thoughts from her mind. He's in the military now, he knew this was coming. With any luck, he'd never have to use that gun.

Hawkeye led him into the armory where various weapons were mounted on the wall. She knelt down to him and gave him a kind smile to lighten the mood.

"You can pick whatever you like… within reason, of course." Ed's eyes lit up for a second. He expected them to just throw him a gun and demand that he use it. He actually had a say in the matter? This may not be as bad as he thought. He walked over to the wall and gingerly grabbed one he liked.

"Oh, not that one, Edward. The Desert Eagle is a bit too much gun for you, or even me for that matter. It jams easily, and it's very heavy."

She smiled inwardly that the boy went for the LARGEST pistol possible. Maybe he thought it would compensate for his height. He nodded in agreement, and put it back. After a few selections and Riza's consistent disapproval, he got a little frustrated.

"Well? What one would YOU pick?" he grumbled. His patience was growing thin. Guns were a personal hobby of Riza's, so she jumped at the opportunity to have her opinion considered. She picked a small selection of her favorites considering Ed's size, unbalanced weight, and his constant abuse of his things. She laid the selection before him.

Kimber carry 1911 .45

Walther P99 9mm

Jericho 941 9mm

Beretta 92fs 9mm

Glock G19 9mm

Taurus 24/7 9mm

Ed took a hard look at all the guns. He had his hands behind his back. He was obviously apprehensive about touching them. Hawkeye grabbed his hand and instructed him to hold each weapon to determine how they felt and their weight. He did so and decided that he didn't like the Glock, Beretta, or Taurus. He picked up the 1911 and liked the way it felt. He looked at Hawkeye and saw that she carried the same gun. So did almost everyone else. He put it down and picked up the Jericho. It was small, powerful, large clip, and as far as he knew, no one else carried it. The gun reminded him of himself. It could have had so many other functions, but it was destined to hurt and kill people. He gave Riza a look that said it all. She smiled lightly.

"Jericho 941. Good choice, Edward."

"Hey chief, whatcha got there?" Havoc asked warmly. Ed and the first lieutenant were at the firing range and they happened to run into Jean, who was working on his aim. He could never live up to Riza's accuracy, but at least he could get a bulls-eye once and a while.

"Edward was instructed to get a handgun. I'm teaching him to use it. If you're not busy, you could help him out." Hawkeye suggested.

Havoc smiled and shoved his earphones over Ed's head. He pointed Ed into a stall and as soon as the boy wasn't looking, Havoc's face became serious.

"What do you mean, he was 'instructed' to get a gun? He's only fifteen for Christ's sake! What if he makes a mistake and kills someone?"

"Edward is a military man, whether we think he should be or not. Despite what some may think, he's very smart and a quick learner. That gun might save his life."

"Or end it!" Havoc hissed. He decided that there was nothing else that needed saying. He put his rifle back on the gun-rack and walked over to where Ed was. Riza sighed and followed.

Riza took on the first lesson.

"Now Edward, the first thing you need to know about this gun is how to safely use it. See this switch? That's the safety. Switch it on…good, now off…good. With the safety on, you can't pull the trigger. Only switch it off when you want to fire, got it? Okay, this button releases the magazine. CAREFUL! Okay, you can't drop it. The magazine is where you put the bullets. Put it back in…good. To load a bullet, you pull this top part back all the way. Yep, it stays there when there's not a bullet in the magazine. That's how you know to reload. To release it, push this switch down. Be careful not to pinch yourself. If the gun were loaded, it would be ready to fire. If you click this switch here, you can de-cock it. there would still be a bullet in there, but if you pulled the trigger, it wouldn't fire. Alright Ed, pull the slide back and dry-fire it."

Ed pulled the slide back and let it snap closed. He held it up to the range and pulled the trigger. The hammer snapped forward, causing him to blink. Riza stepped aside and allowed Havoc to take over.

"Alright, chief. I'm not going to teach you to shoot, Hawkeye would be the best teacher. But I can tell you how to get it ready. Here, this is a shoulder holster. It hides your under your coat, and it's easy to get at from there. Is the safety on? Okay, put it in. this little clasp keeps your gun from falling out and keeps someone from grabbing it easily. If you want it out, use your thumb to unclasp it and pull at the same time. My best advice to you, is keep a round in the chamber, de-cock it and keep the safety on. That way, in a pinch, all you have to do is pull the hammer back. Okay, eject the mag. Here are your bullets. You put them in like this. Always keep a couple extra mags full and with you at all times. Got it? okay."

Edward loaded his magazine with a little trouble. His trembling fingers caused him to drop a few bullets. After a minute or so, he loaded the magazine. He felt Hawkeye stand behind him and hold his arms up. She gave him the go, so he flicked off the safety, lined up his shot and pulled the trigger. Even with the ear protection, the blast took him off guard. He stumbled back and if Riza hadn't been behind him, he might have fallen. He set the gun down and looked at his target. He barely grazed the side of it. She encouraged him to try again. This time, she instructed him to exhale halfway before firing. A couple of magazines later, Ed was 58% accurate.

Later that day, Ed had finished his paperwork and sat at his desk staring at his weapon. His coworkers looked at him a few times. They all felt pity for the boy. So young, and already he had been fitted with the tools to kill. Fuery, Fallman, and Breda went home around 7, but Ed remained. Mustang was about to take his leave when he noticed Fullmetal sitting there.

"C'mon, Fullmetal. I know you love the office, but you can't stay the night. I'll give you a lift, if you'd like." Ed looked up at his superior and frowned. He looked down at his gun and asked Mustang what he wanted to ask somebody in private.

"What do I do if I shoot somebody?"

It was a very vague question, but then again, his question was abundantly clear. Despite getting all the knowledge in the world about the weapon, Ed had no idea what events would precede blowing someone away. Roy sighed and sat on the edge of Ed's desk.

"Well, if you had no other option but to shoot someone, you should immediately call back-up. If your attacker was injured, they'd go to the hospital and then to jail. If they died…professionals would clean up the mess and you'd have to fill out a report. Fullmetal, there's no easy way about shooting someone. It's a little different for everyone. I know very few people who don't have remorse after shooting someone, even Hawkeye. Just remember, if you are ever cornered like that, never hesitate. As skilled an alchemist that you are, I'd be surprised if you ever had to use that. C'mon. You want a ride?"

Ed felt relief spill into his chest at these words. He grabbed the weapon, holstered it, and started walking.

"It's a nice night, I'll walk. Thanks anyway, bastard."


End file.
